B'day special: Sunil Dutt “ from 'Bollywood superstar' to 'Union Minister of India'

New Delhi: As the adage goes -Only the forgotten are truly dead – and Sunil Dutt surely does not belong to the ‘forgotten' category. Sunil Dutt was a versatile actor, a philanthropist and a veteran Indian politician. He was also a producer and director. Sunil Dutt was the Cabinet Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports in Dr Manmohan Singh's led UPA-I government from 2004 to 2005. Sunil Dutt died of a heart attack on 25th May 2005 at his residence in Bandra, Mumbai. He was father of Sanjay Dutt, who too is a popular star of Bollywood.Let us know more about Sunil Dutt on his 85th Birthday: Sunil Dutt was born in Khurd in Jhelum District (now in Pakistan). His father died when he was only 5 years old. Sunil and his siblings – one brother and a sister- were brought up by their uncle. The Dutt family was one of those many who were adversely affected by the Partition. His family was saved by a Muslim named Yakub who had been friends with Sunil Dutt's father. Probably it was this event that taught him to be an impartial, secular leader later on in his life. In 1947, his family had to leave all their belongings behind and they fled to Ambala, Haryana. Sunil Dutt was ambitious even as a child. He joined Mumbai's one of the most renowned colleges – Jai Hind college in 1950s. It was in this college that Sunil Dutt got involved in dramatics. Sunil Dutt's first job was with Keymers, a British advertising agency. He anchored “Lipton ki Mehfil” that was broadcast on Radio Ceylon. This ad became an instant hit. Sunil Dutt made his feature film debut in Railway Platform (1955) opposite Nalini Jaywant. But his big breakthrough film was Mother India (1957). Mother India is seen as the ultimate tribute to Indian Womanhood. He co-starred Nargis in this film. Sunil Dutt married Nargis on 11th March 1958. The couple was blessed with 3 children – Sanjay Dutt, Priya Dutt who is now handling Sunil Dutt's political mantle and Namrata Dutt. Nargis died of Pancreatic Cancer in 1981. Sunil Dutt founded the Nargis Dutt Foundation in her memory. He also made a film “Dard Ka Rishta” on Cancer and dedicated it to his beloved wife. Dutt donated its profit to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital, bought drugs from USA for India's first bone marrow transplant operation. Sunil Dutt has many movies to his credit like Hamraaz, Yaadein, Sadhna, etc. Sunil Dutt acted along with his son in Munnabhai as his father. This film was a blockbuster. Sunil Dutt has produced 8 films, directed 6 films and acted in almost 84 films. He won the Grand Prix Award for “Yaadein” at Frankfurt international Film Fest in 1964 and many other national as well as International awards. In 1995 Sunil Dutt won the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. Sunil Dutt was honored with Padma Shri in 1968 for his achievements in the film industry. In 1982 Sunil Dutt was appointed as the Sheriff of Mumbai. This honor was given to him by the government of Maharashtra. In later years of his life, he turned his attention to politics and decided to focus more on it. Sunil Dutt joined Indian National Congress in 1984. Sunil Dutt was elected to the 8th LS in 1984 and clung on to the seat till 1991. After the Anit-Sikh riots, Sunil Dutt organized “Mahashanti Padyatra” from Mumbai to Amritsar in 1987. He covered almost 2000 kms then. In 1988 he again led a march from Nagasaki to Hiroshima for world peace. Sunil Dutt resigned as the MP after 1992-93 communal riots in Mumbai. He was also the sponsor of the India Project, nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize , for the work it did for the treatment of Indian children with facial deformities. After his death, his daughter Priya Dutt contested from his North West Mumbai Lok Sabha seat. She won the seat and was Member of Parliament from 2005 to 2014. In the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections she was defeated by Poonam Mahajan. Sunil Dutt was conferred with Maulana Abdul Kamal Azad Award for national integration and Communal harmony in 1997, The Great Son of the Soil Award in 1997 and Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Award for promoting peace, harmony and fighting against terrorism. Sunil Dutt once said, "My concept of secularism is to be a good human being who respects all religions". Sunil Dutt preached what he personally practiced. His charm drew people closer to him, his endurance gained him respect, and above all his love for humanity helped him conquer hearts.Sunil Dutt may not be with us today but he lives in the hearts of people who knew him, he lives in the hearts of victims of riots and discrimination who he served with utmost sincerity. Sunil Dutt receives Life Time Achievement Award for his contribution to the film and entertainment industry.